High Expectations
by exquisite-art
Summary: One-shot. Emma Swan theorizes about love... and the reasons why is so hard to find it.


**Disclaimer**: I don't own Once Upon a Time or Disney or any of its characters but I certainly wish I did. I have nothing to do with Nicholas Sparks either.

**Summary:** One shot. Emma Swan theorizes about love... and the reasons why is so hard to find it.

**A/N:** I started to write this from my point of view and then I realized it probably would be more interesting if it was according to Emma. This is suppose to happen before the curse is broken. I tried to be funny but I'm not sure if it was accomplished.

* * *

**High Expectations**

How does someone know when they're in love? I can personally say I've never been in love. I, Emma Swan, have no freaking idea what it's like to be in love. I thought I knew once… how wrong I was. Well at least gave me the best part of my life: my kid.

I spent most of my life looking for that special feeling that everyone speaks about. What is love? How do you describe it? It feels the same to every people? It must be because all books and movies portray it the same way. Or maybe we all assume is that way and no one really knows…

Wow! That was deep… _*chuckle*_

Anyway, we've all been filled with this romantic crap since we were almost toddlers. These _love injections_ have been a constant through every girl's life. Really! You don't believe me? Well, I guess I'll have to prove it to you.

I can pinpoint at least three major reasons for our high expectations in everything relative to love. You believe you'll find the love of your life and live happily ever after? This is why.

* * *

**First injection:** Disney.

I personally blame all Disney movies for my high expectations in everything: men, music, relationships and even hair! Can you see a more perfect hair than the one from Ariel or Pocahontas? When I shower my hair sure as hell doesn't stay the same way! Where are the knots or the twigs and salt in their hairs?! But I'm digressing… Disney implanted since our younger age the idea of fairytales and happily ever after. Yes I had access to Disney movies… I was in foster care, I wasn't living under a rock! We all wanted to be princesses and marry princes (or marry princesses… sooo not judging _*smirk*_) and live the dream. But suddenly we grew up and realized that it would never live on past animation.

So what did we do? We adapted. That's what we do best. So we left fairytales and tried to be grown ups and pick up the peaces of our broken heart. What did my brilliant mind thought? Why not start reading? Almost every adult has at least one book and a friend of mine suggested an author whose novels apparently were 'easy' to read. How could it go wrong? For better or for worst now we didn't have illusions of a prince charming, right? Wrong.

**Second injection:** Nicholas Sparks.

Damn you Nicholas Sparks and all your books! Why?! It's kind of a secret, you'll never hear me talking about it or even acknowledge it, but the truth is that I've read every single book that he has ever written… and I like them. Ok no, I love them! But I'll be dead and buried before anyone knows that I cry like a baby while I read them. It's like, we try to live a real life without high expectations but we are bombed with amazing romance novels that tell us that the fairytale can happen. Really? Does it really happen or is just inside that marvellous brain? I have to say every time I read a new novel from him I only say 'I wish I was his wife'. Right? And I'm not even straight! If he is so romantic in paper it has to be in real life (if not I'd divorce him already…). So now what do we have left: high expectations, again, and a new companion by the name of Kleenex.

It can't get worst right? Of course not. We get out a few times, we realize that things like 'The Notebook' aren't real and we move on. How wrong I was…

**Third injection:** Nicholas Sparks… movies.

Why? WHY?! It wasn't bad enough that we imagined scenes full of love and devotion, that we cried our eyes out in every freaking page, it was really necessary to start transforming every single novel in movies?! So what do we do? We dream, we cry and we eat. Because every single time we find the courage to leave the house we're so disappointed that we return home, to our couch, and start eating ice cream from the container while watching a Nicholas Sparks movie… with a box of tissues. At least I have company… If there's anyone with a screwed up love life is Mary Margaret. MM, Ben & Jerry's, Nicholas Sparks movies and a box of Kleenex is my life's high point right about now. And that's so sad that only makes me want to cry more.

Do you have enough? Do you understand my point of view now? How is completely impossible to satisfy this criterion but people just keep trying?! We must be masochists. Because we keep going at it but is when you least expect it that it happens.

* * *

OK! I admit it: I'm still a believer.

I tried so hard to shut that part of myself. Really how many disappointments and heartbreak can a person take?! I've had enough. Or so I thought...

They talk about love at first sight, the eyes sparkle, you only have eyes for each other, you think about them every time you're not with them… Yadda yadda yadda.

Bullshit! Think about hate at first sight. That's what it looked like to me.

**Regina** freaking **Mills**.

That's a completely different 'injection'. It's fast, strong and violent. A fire burning with hate blazing from dark pools of chocolate. An evil sneer and a quick lashing tongue. Everything wrapped up in the most gorgeous body anyone has ever seen.

I've tried to resist it. Oh God, how I tried… but just as vicious as it can be, an injection of Mayor Mills it's also a slow and almost undetectable burn that spreads to your body like a virus and when you realize what happened is already too late: you are completely, truly, madly, deeply in love.

I have no illusions. _Happily ever after?_ We're talking about Regina! Tomorrow I can piss her of and she ends it all! _Am I prince charming?_ Pff! Yeah, right… _Is she a helpless princess?_ Ah ah ah! Common! I can only imagine her as the bad guy... like the Evil Queen! Yeah, she so looks like a queen, and I could be her knight. _*smirk*_ But seriously, do I love her? I probably do and I still have no idea how it happened. But I'll do everything I can to not screw this up.

So, what have you learned? Love probably exists but lower your expectations. Divorces are real and people can be jackasses! It would be nice to leave in a Fairytale? Maybe. I really don't like the lack of electricity and facilities that Henry keeps describing but if that's your cup of tea… All I have to say is the 'injections' got it all wrong but after you have the real thing you don't care anymore. All that matters is the beautiful brunette that just came through the door looking so damn hot it should be a sin!

Oh! She just unzipped her dress while moving to the staircase! Oh God that smirk means trouble... She dropped it! The dress is on the floor!... And she doesn't have ANYTHING ON!

Why am I still here?!

Emma Swan over and out.


End file.
